Easy Chana Masala

Chana Masala, also called Chole Masala is a vegan Indian Chickpea Curry. Hearty and flavorful, this is a very popular curry in every Indian restaurant menu and in most Indian households.

Ready in under 30 mins, this can easily be in your weekday dinner rotation to be had with some rotis or naan or served over basmati rice.

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Chana masala or Chole and batura, a deep fried Indian bread, used to be one of my favorite things to order at Indian restaurants as a kid. Of course, anything fried is always the winner when you are a kid. Well, who am I kidding, it is a winner, always! So poori or batura was always my go-to order. Pooris usually came with potato masala and baturas came with chana masala. 

The slightly sour dough of bhatura with its deep fried crispiness was the perfect match to the hearty, delicious chole masala.

Chana masala is traditionally made with onions, ginger, garlic, an array of spices, tomatoes and chickpeas. The chickpeas form a great protein source in this vegetarian curry and also gives that heartiness to this curry.

Chana masala and chole masala are interchangeably used to refer to this curry. Though, some claim that there is an every so slight difference in the two. We call this chickpea curry by both names. Now, Punjabi chole is different in the sense that it uses some other spices like Anardana / Pomegranate seeds, Amchur / Dry Mango powder and Black Cardamom. It is thicker and a lot darker in color, almost brown with less tomato-ey red to it.

My chana masala curry is a perfect mix of the regular everyday chana masala and Punjabi chole masala. I use amchur in this to give it that earthy tang I love so much in this curry. I also love the color of my curry to be a deeper red color, rather than orange-red.

Looking for other restaurant favorite Indian curries?

• Chicken Curry
• Rajma Masala - Kidney Beans Curry
• Palak Paneer or Saag Paneer
• Butter Chicken
• Shahi Paneer

How to get that darker, deep red color for chole masala?

The trick, that many may know, is to use tea bags. Add one or two regular plain black tea bags to the pot while the chole masala is simmering and remove it once the curry is done. 

It sounds weird, but you wont get any flavor of tea in the curry at all. It just adds that deep red color to the curry.

Can you use canned chickpeas for making chana masala?

Yes, by all means, canned chickpeas can be used. I do however love cooked, dried chickpeas whenever I remember to soak them well in advance. But yes, in a pinch, canned chickpeas is a great substitute.

Pressure cooked chickpeas are a little softer than the canned ones, so they absorb all the flavor of the curry better. If using canned chickpeas, drain, rinse and quickly add it some boiling water and let cook for 5 mins or so. You can use this water in which you boil the chickpeas, to add to the curry as well.

How to make chana masala?

Chana masala is made with chickpeas simmered in a blend of spices and a tomato-onion sauce base. 

• Start by soaking dried chickpeas in enough water to cover it, for 6-8 hours or overnight. Drain the water. Add the chickpeas and fresh water, about 1: 2 ratio of chickpeas to water, salt and let it pressure cook. 
• On a stove top traditional pressure cooker, cook it for up to 3 whistles, let the pressure release and then open the pressure cooker. Don’t drain the water away.
• To pressure cook in the Instant pot, set it on Manual and 20 mins with Natural Pressure Release.

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• In a large stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat and add chopped red onions to it. Crush together green chillies, ginger and garlic. Once the onions have softened, add this crushed mix to the pot and cook for a couple of minutes.
• Add the chopped tomatoes to this and cook till it softens for about 4-5 mins. 
• Add all the spices, except for the amchur / dry mango powder and the chole masala / garam masala like spice for this curry. Mix well and let cook for 1-2 mins. Season with salt.

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• Now add the cooked chickpeas with the water and add a bay leaf and the tea bags to it. 
• Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 15-20 mins. Check every once in a while to see if there is enough water for the curry base, if not add a little water, about ¼ - ½ cup at a time.
• Open the pot, mash some of the chickpeas with a potato masher or the back of your ladle, to just thicken up the curry some more. Remove the tea bags and the bay leaf. Add the amchur and chole masala and turn off the heat. 
• Mix well and top with freshly minced cilantro. 

Can this be made ahead or frozen?

Yes, absolutely. I personally love leftover chana masala as I find the flavors to have infused a lot more into the chickpeas.

You can also freeze it by packing it in a freezer friendly tupperware container. Just make sure to not fill the container all the way up, as the liquid part of the curry will expand as it freezes.

What do you serve with chana masala?

Chana masala is best served with naan, pooris or batura. But you can also serve it alongside fresh hot rotis/ chapatis. This can be served over basmati rice or jeera rice as well.